This week, One Direction fans everywhere were crushed as breakup rumors were all but confirmed. But, Directioners are far from the first group of fans to be devastated by the news their faves won't be making any more music together. Dreams of solo careers, in-fighting, general jazz square fatigue — anything can prompt a band split. But, the fall out is always the same. Fans try to remember the good times while consoling themselves with the promise of a greatest hits album. Maybe One Direction fans can find comfort from the fans of the ex-bands that came before them. These devastated devotees got through it, with nothing more than a playlist and the knowledge that someday there would be a reunion tour. So, if you come across a sad teen tearing up at "Best Song Ever," try to remember a time another band breakup broke your heart. The first one is always the hardest.
"I was high-key obsessed with The Jonas Brothers. The first time they went on a "break" I basically left a family party and went into a two-day sob fest. It was super unexpected and actually broke my heart. When they actually broke up, it was pretty anticipated and much less sad. Nick and Joe being back on the scene is easily one of the better parts of my current adult life."— Victoria
"My sister and I loved Milli Vanilli so much that we had a poster of Rob and Fab in our shared bedroom. This annoyed my dad to no end, so nobody has ever been happier than he was the moment they got exposed for lip-syncing. He turned on MTV and said, "I told you they were frauds." My sister and I were so betrayed we took down the poster, rolled it up, and threw it in the garbage. 'Blame It On The Rain' is still my jam though."— Erin
"It was a very good idea for R.E.M. to break up, but STILL as a fan I was SHOCKED."— Courtney
"When I first heard The Smiths in ninth grade I was devastated to learn they were no more. There are others like that, even the Beatles, that crushed my young soul long after their existence. So any band breakups that happened in real time were unsurprising."— Sabrina
"I loved Jet so much — their manager let us sit with the sound crew, without paying for tickets, for the entire show. It was one of the best nights of my life."— Julie
"The Libertines' first breakup when I was about 17 was the worst. There was a whole community that went along with The Libs, so when everything went sour it was a bad time for a lot of people."— Amy
"I sobbed like I lost a family member when My Chemical Romance broke up. They always meant a lot to me because they showed me that being weird is totally okay."— Ashley
"I'm still heartbroken about the Spice Girls breaking up. They were such style icons and girl power icons."— Dolly
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